Children sail towards success in boatyard project

PRIMARY school children in Bristol are swapping their desks for a boatyard in the Floating Harbour.Each week they spend time learning the skills needed to build dinghies from a kit.The youngsters are taking part in a project called Rocking The Boat which is being run by All-Aboard, a registered charity and voluntary organisation which has taught hundreds of school-age children how to sail over the last three decades.Steve Evans, of All-Aboard, said: "This is a completely new project for children at inner-city schools helping them to widen their aspirations, encouraging them to work in teams, as well as helping them to increase their self-confidence."The youngsters will spend a morning or an afternoon doing such things as fabricating, drilling, sanding, cutting, and planning their work schedule."Two schools are pioneering the scheme - Ashton Gate Primary and Compass School in Bedminster.Mr Evans said: "We hope that when each boat is finished the children will want to learn to sail in the Floating Harbour with the support of qualified instructors from the Schools Sailing Association at the All-Aboard Watersports Centre."It is hoped that by Easter each school will have built their dinghy ready to sail.Mr Evans said: "The base we have for building boats near the Cumberland Basin is at the heart of Bristol's historic maritime heritage. "Our neighbours include people who are building and repairing wooden boats gig boats at Underfall Yard and the Harbour Master's office is nearby."We hope that heir closeness will help to stimulate the youngsters' interest in Bristol's history. Rocking The Boat is extending their classroom beyond the school walls."The idea for this comes from a similar successful scheme in The Bronx, New York. We plan to extend this initiative into secondary schools if there is interest."